The Oxidative Stress and Chronic Inflammatory Process in Chagas Disease: Role of Exosomes and Contributing Genetic Factors

Figure 4

T. cruzi extracellular vesicles can activate macrophages to release cytokines. Extracellular vesicles from T. cruzi axenic cultures (TcEv), infected cells (TEv), or cultured cells of both acutely or chronically infected mice (pTEv) can stimulate both cultured and bone marrow-derived macrophages to secrete TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. However, plasma-derived TEv from mutant Parp1-/- mice cannot induce cytokine production in macrophages, and it was determined that induction of cytokine production is through the PARP1-cGAS-NF-κB axis.